Richard Wilkinson Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiologyjcfj.ie/images/plenary/Richard...
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Inequality: the enemy between us?
Richard Wilkinson
Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology
4
Income per head and life-expectancy: rich & poor countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Life expectancy in rich countries is
no longer related to National Income per head
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
Local Neighbourhoods
(in England & Wales)
Life
exp
ecta
ncy (
ye
ars
)
Richest Poorest
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Life expectancy is strongly related to
income within rich countries
3.7 3.94.3
4.6 4.85.2 5.3
5.6 5.6 5.6 5.76.1 6.2
6.7 6.8 6.87.2
8.5
9.7
4.0
8.0
7.0
3.4
Japan
Fin
land
No
rway
Sw
eden
Denm
ark
Belg
ium
Au
str
iaG
erm
an
yN
eth
erl
ands
Sp
ain
Fra
nce
Canada
Sw
izte
rland
Irela
nd
Gre
ece
Italy
Isra
el
New
Zeala
nd
Au
str
alia
UK
Po
rtugal
US
AS
ingap
ore
Income gaps
How many times richer
are the richest fifth than
the poorest fifth?
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Inequality...
How much richer are the richest 20% in
each country than the poorest 20%?
Health and social problems with social gradients
and internationally comparable data
• Life expectancy
• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality
• Homicides
• Imprisonment
• Teenage births
• Trust
• Obesity
• Mental illness – incl. drug &
alcohol addiction
• Social mobility
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Index of:
• Life expectancy
• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality
• Homicides
• Imprisonment
• Teenage births
• Trust
• Obesity
• Mental illness
– incl. drug &
alcohol
addiction
• Social mobility
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Health and social problems are worse
in more unequal countries
Ind
ex o
f h
ealt
h a
nd
so
cia
l p
rob
lem
s
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Neither health nor social problems are
related to national income per head
Index of:
• Life expectancy
• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality
• Homicides
• Imprisonment
• Teenage births
• Trust
• Obesity
• Mental illness
– incl. drug &
alcohol
addiction
• Social mobility Ind
ex o
f h
ealt
h a
nd
so
cia
l p
rob
lem
s
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Child well-being is better in more equal countries
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Child Wellbeing is not related to National Income per head
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
People in more unequal countries
trust each other less
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
People in more unequal states of
the USA trust each other less
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Mental illness is more common in
more unequal societies
16
Infant Mortality Rates are Higher in More Unequal Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
Income Inequality
Ho
mic
ide
s p
er
millio
n p
eo
ple
Low High
Daly M, Wilson M, Vasdev S. Income inequality and homicide rates in Canada and the United States. Can J Crim 2001; 43: 219-36.
Homicide rates are higher in more unequal
US states and Canadian provinces
USA states
Canadian provinces
18
Teenage Birth Rates are Higher in More Unequal Rich Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Social mobility is lower in more unequal countries
www.equalitytrust.org.uk Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Imprisonment rates are higher in
more unequal countries
Imprisonment Rates are Higher in More Unequal US States
Death Penalty: Red = retained Blue = abolished
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Elgar FJ, Craig W, Boyce W, Morgan A, Vella-Zarb R. Income Inequality and School Bullying:
Multilevel Study of Adolescents in 37 Countries. J. Adolescent Health 2009; 45(4): 351-359 .
Income inequality & bullying in 37 countries
Income differences increase social class differentiation
Bigger income differences:-
• Class becomes more important • The social pyramid is higher
and more hierarchical • The quality of social relations
deteriorates
More
inequality
• More superiority and inferiority
• More status competition and consumerism
• More status insecurity
• More worry about
how we are seen and judged
• More “social evaluation anxiety”
(threats to self-esteem & social
status, fear of negative
judgements
Valued or
Devalued?
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Other
tasks
Tasks with ‘social
evaluative threat’
(uncontrollable)
Co
rtis
ol re
sp
on
se (
eff
ect
siz
e)
Dickerson SS, Kemeny ME. Acute stressors and cortisol
responses. Psychological Bulletin 2004; 130(3): 355-91.
What kind of stressful tasks raise
stress hormones most?
Gilligan J. Violence: Our Deadly Epidemic and its Causes. (G .P. Putnam 1996)
" ...the prison inmates I work with have told me repeatedly,
when I asked them why they had assaulted someone, that it
was because 'he disrespected me', or 'he disrespected my
visit' (meaning 'visitor'). The word 'disrespect' is central in the
vocabulary, moral value system, and psychodynamics of
these chronically violent men that they have abbreviated it
into the slang term, 'he dis'ed me." p.106
A few pages further on Gilligan continues:-
"I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not
provoked by the experience of feeling shamed and humiliated,
disrespected and ridiculed, and that did not represent the
attempt to prevent or undo this "loss of face " - no matter how
severe the punishment, even if it includes death." p.110
Loughnan S, et al. Economic Inequality is linked to biased self-perception. Psychological Science, 2011; 22: 1254
In more unequal countries people abandon modesty and exaggerate their merits
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Index of:
• Life expectancy
• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality
• Homicides
• Imprisonment
• Teenage births
• Trust
• Obesity
• Mental illness
– incl. drug &
alcohol
addiction
• Social mobility
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Health and social problems are worse
in more unequal countries
Ind
ex o
f h
ealt
h a
nd
so
cia
l p
rob
lem
s
0
5
10
15
Single
mothers
Low HighFather's occupational class
Infa
nt
death
s p
er
1000 England & Wales
Sweden
Leon, D. A., D. Vagero, et al. (1992). "Social class differences in infant mortality
in Sweden: comparison with England and Wales." Brit Med J 305(6855): 687-91.
The benefits of greater equality are not confined
to the poor but extend to all social classes
Infant mortality by class: Sweden compared with England & Wales
32
Literacy Scores of 16-25 year olds by
Parents' Education
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Parents' Education (years)
Lit
era
cy s
co
re
Sweden
Canada
United States
Source: Willms JD. 1997. Data from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment.
What can be done?
Taxes & benefits
• Stop tax
avoidance
• End tax havens
• Make taxation
progressive
again
Income differences
before tax
• Stronger Trade
Unions
• Increase company
democracy -
employee
ownership etc
• Promote more
directors from
within companies
Sustainability needs
greater equality